Operational Support Airlift Activity

08/20/2022

Promotion Ceremony for SSG Dickerson being promoted to SFC

07/31/2022

OSA-A’s Flight Detachment and the North Carolina Army National Guard had the opportunity to support Soldiers and Marines of the 911th Technical Rescue Engineer Company this week. A special thanks to the North Carolina State Flight Detachment for providing C-26 lift capabilities and supporting our Engineers. This was a unique day with all OSA-A platforms involved, the C-12, C-26, and UC-35. Lots of smiles all around! It is always a special treat for our crews to support servicemembers experiencing the Army’s Fixed Wing Transport fleet for the first time.

07/25/2022

Glorious start to a morning flight.

07/16/2022

America - “land that I love” 🇺🇸

07/11/2022

On 29 June 2022, The Operational Support Airlift Activity (OSA-A) at Davision Army Airfield conducted the Battalion Change of Command transferring authority between the outgoing and incoming commanders. The event was hosted by COL Winfield Adkins the Commander of The Army Aviation Brigade.

The event recognized the many unit accomplishments and bid farewell to the outgoing commander, LTC Scott Messare after two years of steadfast leadership. The past few years, were overshadowed by unprecedented COVID-19 distributed operations and significant disruptions to transportation and the global supply chains. With that, the OSA fleet was keenly positioned to answer the call of the DoD. The Army fixed wing enterprise rapidly responded to their standing and emerging COVID response mission requirements without hesitation. This resulted in the safe ex*****on of nearly 63,000 flight hours with the movement of 600,000 pounds of cargo and ~30,000 passengers.

OSA-A would like to welcome the new commander LTC David Crocker and his wife Karen to the team and look forward to the next few years under their leadership.

Photos by SSG (P) Dickerson.

07/09/2022

On 23 June, OSA-A recognized four outstanding individuals for their numerous contributions to the unit. Awardees included CPT VanHolland, SFC (Ret) Hipp, SFC Ko, and SSG (P) Smith. We are thankful for their efforts and know they will continue to be successful in their future. This event was hosted by LTC Scott Messare and CSM Wanda Kahl.
Photos by SSG (P) Dickerson.

07/04/2022

Wishing you a from USAG Fort Belvoir!

07/03/2022

Had a very busy June packed with some great events including a unit awards ceremony, the promotion of SFC Steele to MSG at the Military Women's Memorial, a unit orientation flight with the 12th Aviation Battalion and a BDE photo in the blistering heat. Looking forward to what the rest of the summer has in store.

06/29/2022

On 29 July 2022 OSA-A conducted a BN Change of Command between LTC Scott Messare (outgoing) and LTC David Crocker (incoming). The presiding official was COL Winfield Adkins the Commander of The Army Aviation Brigade.

06/23/2022

On 11 June 2022, the OFD hosted the local Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. They toured the C12 and learned about its full spectrum capabilities. A special thanks to CW2 Mike Hatter for taking the time to show these kids how awesome aviation is and inspiring some future pilots.

06/17/2022

A day at the office.

06/15/2022

Today B Co 12th Aviation Battalion provided flight support to some of OSA-A’s finest! It was a great opportunity to gain an appreciation for their mission set in the NCR. Thanks for the flight and your continued professionalism.

06/14/2022

On 13 June 2022, MAJ Mark Salvati flew his final military flight in a UC35 at Davison Army Airfield. MAJ Salvati notably served on the OSA-A ATP as a dual aircraft pilot-in-command and was a key factor in developing many of our new aviators. His contributions were profound not only as a mission pilot but also as The Army Aviation Brigade executive officer (XO). Mark will be truly missed by all.

Thanks for all that you’ve done and will do as you move to your final assignment before retirement.

06/03/2022

CPT Nicholas Forbes concluded his final military flight with a low approach in the C-12 (King Air 200) at Davison Army Airfield on 23 May 2022 after Over 20 years of service.

05/17/2022

On 12 May 2022, OSA-A celebrated the retirement of SFC Cory Swanson after 22 years of dedicated service. The ceremony highlighted his accomplishments and contributions to the US Army and its organizations. SFC Swanson will be greatly missed as he returns to New York to start his next chapter closer to family. The ceremony was hosted by the OSA-A Battalion S4, MAJ John Freeman.

05/04/2022

On 8 April 2022, at 14:00 CSM Manuel Almanza was retired out of the Army after 30 years of dedicated service. The ceremony highlighted his Army journey which began at the Fort Lewis Regional Flight Center, his numerous professional accomplishments along the way, and the lesson that no successful path comes without the insights & mentorship of other and a great deal of teamwork. CSM Almanza will be greatly missed by many. The ceremony was hosted by the OSA-A Commander, LTC Scott Messare.

04/28/2022

On 8 April 2022, The Operational Support Airlift Activity conducted the Change of Responsibility between CSM Manuel Almanza and CSM Wanda Kahl. The event recognized CSM Almanza and his tremendous contributions to the organization over the past three years and welcomed CSM Kahl who joins the team from her previous assignment as the Senior Enlisted Leader in the Army National Guard Aviation and Safety Division. The event was hosted by the OSA-A Commander, LTC Scott Messare.

04/28/2022

On 21 April 2022, the Operational Support Airlift Activity welcomed those new to the OSA-A family and said thank you to our significant contributors moving onto their next chapter. This Hail and Farewell was a great opportunity to build relationships within the OSA-A community.

04/27/2022

The U.S. Army’s Twilight Tattoo is returning to Joint Base Myer - Henderson Hall this summer!

Each show begins at 7 p.m. with pre-show music from The United States Army Band at 6:30 p.m.

All performances are free and open to the public. Tickets are not required. The full schedule and more information is available at https://twilight.mdw.army.mil/.

Twilight Tattoo is an action-packed military pageant. The show features Soldiers from the US Army Military District of Washington's ceremonial units, the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) and The U.S. Army Band.

The show is a time-honored tradition that provides a glimpse into history through the eyes of the American Soldier. Twilight Tattoo demonstrates that U.S. Army history is America's history.

Music and military pageantry recognize and salute the service and sacrifice of U.S. Army Soldiers and Families, past and present. Short theatrical vignettes highlight the courage of the American Soldier, the innovation of the military, and the professionalism of the force.

Twilight Tattoo's history dates back to the years before World War II. The U.S. Army Military District of Army later revived the show in 1961 to showcase the talents of Soldiers from The United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, The United States Army Drill Team, The Commander-in-Chief's Guard, The Continental Color Guard, U.S. Army Caisson Platoon, HHC, 1st Bn, 3d Inf Regt, The Presidential Salute Battery, and The U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own."

Don’t miss this summer tradition - mark your calendars today!

04/24/2022

CW5 Christopher “Kit” Parkin concluded his final military flight with a low approach in the UC-35 (Citation 560) at Davison Army Airfield on 22 April 2022 after 21 years of service.

04/22/2022

On 22 April 2022, CW5 Christopher “Kit” Parkin conducted his final military flight after 21 years of military service. Kit’s contributions to the Army aviation enterprise are extensive and include numerous combat deployments and a tour at the Human Resources Command as the Fixed Wing assignments officer. His final assignment was at The Army Aviation Brigade where he served as the Brigade Fixed Wing Standardization Instructor Pilot. Kit will be remembered as an incredible teammate, a GO-TO mission pilot, and a trusted senior aviation leader & advisor. He leaves the US Army having amassed over 4,500 flight hours across various platforms including the CH-47, the C-12, and the UC-35.

04/21/2022

04/20/2022

On 2 April, CPT Ryan Pfeiffer was promoted to MAJ during a small ceremony with his family, friends and members of the Operational Support Airlift Activity and The Army Aviation Brigade. MAJ Pfeiffer has served at OSA-A over the past year as the ARNG Fixed Wing Training Manager and will assume the role as the OSA-A S3 this month.

04/20/2022

On 19 APR, MAJ Gargan flew his last flight with OSA-A. MAJ Gargan arrived at OSAA in 2020 and served as the BN Training Officer and most recently as the BN S3 OIC. MAJ Gargan flew several missions over the last two years in the C12V as a PIC. His contributions made a significant impact on OSA-A operations and we will miss having him on our team. Best wishes and good luck at your next assignment!

04/18/2022

On 12 April 2022, The Army Aviation Brigade hosted the JTF-NCR/MDW command team, MG Allan Pepin and CSM Franklin Velez for numerous events, which included a fierce fitness session, the Semi Annual Training Brief (SATB) and a recognition ceremony for several deserving Soldiers and Civilians. Among the Soldiers was our very own SSG Kenneth Dickerson, HHC Training and Readiness NCO for his expert management of unit training this year.

04/17/2022

The PGA TOUR is coming to the DMV, and we can get you in FREE 🏌️‍♂️
Ticket links below 🎫

🔔 A couple updates from Wells Fargo
Complimentary parking is while supplies last.
-50% Veteran rate does not apply to parking ($15/day)

By partnering with the Wells Fargo Championship, we're offering 2 free passes for active duty , 50% off tickets for , and a full priced ticket benefitting the USO!

All attendees with Military ID have access to the CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Patriot Outpost, with free concessions

Check out our links 🎫
usometro.org/wfcmil (active duty)
usometro.org/wfcvet (veterans)
usometro.org/wfctix (public)
and claim yours!

04/16/2022

It’s not an easy feat, but facility improvements are important to steady state operations.

A special thanks to the OSA-A HHC and S4 teammates that worked to cleanup and give the OSA-A break area a fresh look.

It’s often the little things that happen behind the scenes that make all the difference.

04/07/2022

On March 17th, several members of OSAA gathered at the Specker Human Performance Center to conduct group PT in preparation for the upcoming ACFT in April. The workout focused on ACFT events to include the Sprint Drag Carry and the Hand Release Push-up. Thanks to the Specker Human Performance Center for supporting The Operational Support Airlift Activity!